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UPDATED BY MARIA SIEVERDING DECEMBER 27, 2016 1 P.M.
Suspects sentenced for Holton robberies
Wanda English Burnett
EDITOR
wburnett@ripleynews.com
Two separate burglaries in the Town of Holton have been solved with two men spending this Christmas in jail. Holton Town Marshal Josh Royalty was called to a robbery that occurred at the Holton Food Mart in June of this year. There was video surveillance of the burglary, and when police began to investigate, they found the suspect to be Bryan Goodpaster, 21, of North Vernon.
According to information from the Affidavit of Probable Cause, the store had been burglarized on both June 16 and 17, 2016. On the video footage Goodpaster is shown trying to break into the store by breaking the door with a rock. When that failed, he tried another door and was successful on gaining entry. Taken from the store were cigarettes and an empty cash register. Working with officers from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, Ripley County police were able to find out the name of the person on the video, which was Goodpaster. He was also incarcerated at the Jennings County Jail on unrelated charges.
On December 20, in Judge Ryan J. King’s Ripley Circuit Court, Goodpaster was sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections, three years of which are suspended. Goodpaster received 168 days for actual time served, plus 56 days good time credit for a total of 224 days credit. Upon release from prison the suspect is to have no contact with the Holton Food Mart or Prakashinh Parmar. He will have to pay $2,000 to the food store, and follow all orders of probation. Goodpastor was charged with a Level 5 Felony.
The second burglary occurred in October of 2015 and was investigated by Cpl. Steve Sullivan of the Ripley County Sheriff’s Department. Brian K. George, 26, of Columbus, was charged with Burglary of a Residence, a Level 4 Felony. According to information from court records, George had been living at the residence of a Holton relative, when after a dispute, he stole seven guns among other things. The suspect also had taken jewelry, cash, and a Dell Chromebook, which was issued by South Ripley schools. Again, officers from Ripley County teamed up with officers in Bartholomew County where George admitted to a girlfriend that he had taken a shotgun. He was being held in the Bartholomew County Jail on an unrelated burglary charge that had occurred in that county. In sentencing, aggravating factors were that the defendant had a significant criminal history, which is increasing in severity. According to court documents filed December 14 in Ripley County Circuit Court, Judge Ryan J. King sentenced George to nine years in the Department of Corrections with only three suspended to probation. The defendant has no earned credit time and will have to serve the remaining six years. Just a portion of the probation conditions include that he will need to pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $1,002.25 and have no contact with them.
Ripley Youth Outreach, Shopko support children
Ripley Youth Outreach (RYO) received a $500 grant from the Shopko Foundation to support the Birthday Box program. Ripley Youth Outreach is a student led initiative of the Ripley County Community Foundation that allows local youths to have an active role in the work of the Community Foundation. Over the course of a year, the members of RYO have identified a need among the children in Ripley County and devised the Birthday Box program to address that need. The Birthday Box program will provide children, 10 and under, whose parents are served by one of Ripley County’s eight food pantries, with the essentials needed to celebrate a birthday.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Pictured from left are Tyler Wachsmann, Oldenburg Academy; Anna Cassidy, Batesville High School; Katherine Roell, Batesville High School; Teha Merkel, Jac-Cen-Del; Joel Tunny, Jac-Cen-Del; and Kellie Doyle, manager of Shopko.
The members of Ripley Youth Outreach executive committee are Teha Merkel, Jac-Cen-Del High School; Tyler Wachsmann, Oldenburg Academy; Clarice Patterson, South Ripley High School; Katherine Roell, Batesville High School; Anna Cassidy, Batesville High School; Joel Tunny, Jac-Cen-Del High School; Ava Geers, Oldenburg Academy; and Clarisse Zigan, South Ripley High School.
To support Ripley Youth Outreach and the Birthday Box Program contact the Ripley County Community Foundation at 812-933-1098 or via email at office@rccfonline.org.
UPDATED BY MARIA SIEVERDING DECEMBER 6, 2016 1 P.M.
Local Bulletin Board
Polar Plunge seeks sponsors
Special Olympics Indiana’s largest signature fundraising event, the Polar Plunge, has raised more than $3 million dollars since its inception in 2000.
The 18 Polar Plunges around the state feature 2,900 plungers braving the icy cold waters in Indiana, as they fundraiser to support athletes with intellectual disabilities. Over 5,000 spectators and volunteers watch as both individuals and teams in costumes jump in freezing water to participate in this incredible team-building, bucket-list challenge. Sponsorship opportunities for the Polar Plunge are available for companies that want to partner with Special Olympics Indiana. Contact Greg Townsend at 812-584-6861 or by email at gtownsend@soindiana-rod.org, or visit http://soindiana-rod.org/polarplunge-sponsors to download a sponsorship form.
Jan. 7: First responder breakfast with legislator
Police, Fire, and EMS members please join State Representative Randy Frye for a breakfast to discuss public safety issues for the upcoming legislative session. The breakfast, sponsored by the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department, will be on Saturday, Jan. 7 beginning at 8 a.m.
